Music leaf turner



Feb. 23, 1932. E mz 1,846,097

MUS IC LEAF TURNER Filed Aug. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 23, 1932. E. M. FRITZ 1,846,097

MUS IC LEAF TURNER Filed Aug. 24, 1929 Z SheetS-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 PATENT OFFICE V ERNEST m. Farm, 01 cmcaoo, rumors MUSIC LEAF TURNER Application filed August 24, 1929. Serial No. 388,249.

My invention relates to music leaf turners, its primary object being the provision of a novel form of foot for engaging the music sheets to be turned. More specifically, it is my object to provide .a foot having a live rubber engaging surface of novel form for effectively engaging the sheets.

Another of my objects is the provision of a leg for supporting the foot, the leg being both yieldable and adjustable.

Another of my objects is the provision of an arm for actuating the leg and foot, the arm being adjustable in length.

Another object which I have in view is the provision of a simple actuating mechanism for swinging the arm through an arc and for gradually lifting the arm at the same time.

' While my music leaf turner is designed primarily for efficiency, my object has been to make it in the simplest possible form so that it may be constructed at the lowest cost consistent with efiiciency.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I will now refer to the drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the operative portions of my music leaf turner, a portion of the casing being broken away to disclose the turning mechanism.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the music leaf turner as seen from the side facing the operator.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the arm and showing particularly the adjusting mechanism for the arm.

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing the foot and showing particularly the various leg members. 7 Figures 5 to 8 inclusive are perspective views showing the action of the leaf turner at different stages.

.. Figure 9 is a view in elevation of the lower end of the leg and of the foot immediately before it. exerts a gripping action on the leaf. Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing the foot in its full gripping action.

, The foot consists of a piece of live rubber 10 which is clamped between two metallic plates 11, the plates being pivotally connected at 12 to the leg. The rubber foot 10 is provided with a number of toes 13 arranged in the form shown best in Figure 4. A pin l t passing through the rubber foot 10 engages the upper edges of the plates 11 to prevent accidental slipping of the foot 10 relative to the plates. The two plates 11 are joined by an abutment 15 which limits the pivotal movement of the foot on the leg. 3

The leg includes an upper portion 16 and a lower portion 17 with a coil spring 18. The upper leg portion 16 is hollow for receiving the spring 18. The lower leg portion 17 is slidable within the upper leg portion 16 against the compression of the spring 18. The upper leg portion 16 is provided with a pin 19 passing through the slot 20 of the lower leg portion 17, the purpose of the pinand slot connection being to limit the sliding movements of the lower leg portion.

The leg is adj ustably secured in the looped end portion 21 of the arms. This adjustment is made by means of a set screw 22 and its purpose is to take care of pads of sheet music of varying thicknesses. WVhen the pad is relatively thick, the leg is raised in the collar 21 and when the pad is relatively thin the leg may be lowered. The arm itself has two adjustments. The main portion 23 of the arm is slidable at one end into the collar portion of the end member 21 and it is slidable at its other end into the arm member 24. The portion 23 is preferably made from steel or other relatively rigid material and it is provided in its upper surface with a plurality of sockets 25 as best shown in Figure 3. For holding the member 23 in any desired position of adjustment in the collar member 21, I provide a set screw 26 which engages the upper surface of the member 23. The member 23 is also slidably adjustable in the member 24 which is provided with a spring 27 having a pin 28 which is adapted to seat in one of the sockets 25. It will thus be apparent that the arm may be lengthened or shortened by releasing the spring 27 and sliding the member 23 out of or into the member 24. The purpose of this, of course. is to take care of music sheets of various widths.

parts to their normal position I provide a coil spring 35. It is necessary, however, for eflicient operation that the foot be made to disengage the sheet as soon as the sheet has beenturned. This is best accomplished by liftingthe foot. when the sheet has been sufe ficiently turned for its ownweight to carry tothe'end of the turning movement. Forv raising the shaft 30 and with it, the foot 10,

I have provided a camcdge on the barrel 23., the camedge riding on the fixed abutment 6 I The support for the music leaf turner comprises a box like structure 37 which encloses the operating parts for the shaft .30. The shaft 30 is in this housing .37 which also Supports the abutment .365 The housing 87" is provided with two lateral Wings 38 projecting inopposite directions and lying in the sa e plane. 7 These wings constitute the means for securingthe music leaf turner to amusic' stand or to the musical instrument.

Thehousing 37 is further provided with a slot 39 for the flexible member 34.

In operation, the pad of sheet music is positioned underneath the foot of the music leaf turner, the music leaf turner having been secured to the music stand .or to the musical instrument. The leg is then raised .or lowered to provide the proper adjustment for the thickness of the pad of sheet music. The armis then extended or retracted according tothe width of the music sheets. By then applying tension to the flexible member 34, the foot 10 is dragged over the pad of sheet music and since the live rubber of the foot engages thetop sheet inmuchthe same manner that a moist finger would engage it,

the .sheetis dragged until it passes the perpendicular with respect .to the hinge. During the forwardmovement of the foot there is a pivotal. movement. about the'pivot 12 until the folotlO secur s the maximum grip on the sheet.- During the forward movement the cam35 causes-the foot'to be gradually-raised so. as to finally release the sheetwhere it is allowed to fall the rest of the distance. The action and movement thus resemble in every respectthe action and movementof a moist linger when used-for the same purpose.

The music leaf turner may be actuated by applyingtension to the flexible member 34, in any desired manner. The flexible member 34 will cause the swinging of the arm 24 throughan arcuate path carrying with it the leg and the foot 10. Owing to the position of the pivot 12, the forward extremity of the foot rests somewhat lightly on the music sheet, the pressure being governed by the tension of the springlS and the adjustment of the leg. The foot l0'wi1l fric'tionally engage the music sheet so that the forward movement will cause a slight drag which will f tend to move the foot about its pivotal connection 12 with the leg. As the point of contact of the foot 10 approaches more nearly the vertical positionwith respect to the pivot 12,

the distance between the pivot 12 and the point of contact of the foot increases and this thereby increases the friction of the foot due to the increase in pressure.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its con struction and operationwill be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

gated foot of live rubber pivotally securedi at its rear extremity to said leg at the lower extremity thereof.

2. .In a music leaf turner, an arm adapted for arcuate swinging movement in an inclined plane, a leg depending from said arm at, the free extremity thereof, anelongated foot having a substantially spiral cam shaped gripping surface, a pivot pin passing through the lowerextremity of said leg and through the rear portion of said *foot,.and an abutment for limiting the pivotalmovement of said foot on said leg.

3. In a music leaf turner, an arm and manually operable means for swinging said arm through an arcuatezpath, a leg depending from said arm and an elongated foot pivotally securedto said leg, said foot having a substantially spiral cam-shaped rubbing surface extending forwardly of the pivotal connection thereof whereby the friction of saidv rubbing surface will retard the movement thereof and thus cause said foot to move on its pivotal axis to increase the pressure thereof on the sheet of music during the arcuate movement of said cam. V

4. In amusic leaf turner, an arm andmanually operable. means for swinging said arm through an arcuate path, a leg dependin from said arm and an elongated foot pivota ly secured to said leg, said foot having a substantially spiral cam-shaped rubbing surface extending forwardly of the pivotal connection thereof whereby the friction of said rubbing surface will retard the. movement thereof and thus cause said foot to move on its pivotal axis to increase the pressure thereof on the sheet of music during the arcuate movement of said arm, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said foot.

5. In a music leaf turner, an arm movable in an arcuate path, a compressible leg depending from said arm, and a foot pivotally secured to said leg, said foot having a spiral cam-shaped rubbing surface beginning at a point directl beneath said leg and extending forward y therefrom whereby the friction of said foot on the sheet of music will result in the ivotal movement of said foot to increase t e compression of said leg and to increase the friction of said foot on the sheet of music.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ERNEST M. FRITZ. 

